Aims and MethodMemory clinics have become very popular in old age psychiatry and there is some pressure for them to be developed in old age services. However, there is little evidence to suggest that they are more advantageous over the traditional domiciliary visits or who should be seen in clinic. This was a naturalistic comparison of 76 consecutive new referrals to a memory clinic, with 74 consecutive new domiciliary requests within the same service over the same period of time. A retrospective case note review collected the clinical features and an 18-month prospective follow-up examined the subsequent clinical management.Clinical ImplicationsThe two groups were characterised more by their similarities than their differences. However, the domiciliary group had greater behavioural and psychological complications. The memory clinic patients were less likely to receive psychotropic medication and here more likely to be followed up.ResultsWe conclude that memory clinics might be less suitable for patients with prominent psychiatric complications. Memory clinics could complement the domiciliary model by providing early psychosocial/neuropsychiatric approaches, although this is likely to lead to an increased clinical case-load.

The move away from the provision of long‐stay beds by the NHS inevitably meant a change in function for wards for elderly patients with cognitive impairment to a more acute way of working. Literature is scarce on the role or effectiveness of the new assessment wards that have replaced them and the factors affecting outcome and the duration of stay. Evidence suggests that those patients with higher dependency levels and behavioural problems stay in hospital longer, as do those awaiting a nursing home placement.This paper reports a prospective study of a consecutive group of 101 patients who died on or were discharged from an acute assessment ward for elderly patients with cognitive impairment. Clinical characteristics were recorded according to an in‐patient dementia care pathway, which included Mini‐MOUSEPAD, Crichton activities of daily living, Mini‐Mental State Examination and the Burvill physical health score evaluations. Outcome measures were duration of stay, destination on discharge or death on the ward.Most patients had cerebrovascular disease (48%) or Alzheimer's disease (32.9%), and their average Mini‐Mental State Examination score was 14.9. The mean duration of stay was 7.9 weeks. Self‐funding status and lack of behavioural and psychological complications were associated with a reduced duration of stay. 22.2% of patients were successfully rehabilitated to their own homes, but 20% died. Discharge home was most strongly predicted by having a spouse at home, and the need for nursing home rather than residential care was related to the severity of cognitive impairment. This study concludes that patients can expect to stay in hospital for 8 weeks but two areas of concern are highlighted. Firstly, the importance of the funding of community rehabilitation for patients with memory disorders and, secondly, the importance of a spouse at home to look after the patient.

Aims and MethodIn 2001 the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) produced guidance for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. NICE encourages the withdrawal of medication when the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score reaches 12 and advises against the treatment of patients with cholinesterase inhibitors if the MMSE score is below 12. Most health authorities have rigorously enforced these guidelines, which has put old age psychiatrists in a difficult position. Our prospective 12 week audit of consecutive patients examines the response to treatment of patients treated both in accordance with and outside of NICE criteria. We also investigated the effect of stopping the medication according to NICE's recommendation.ResultsOur results suggest that patients outside the NICE criteria respond better than those within the criteria. More disturbingly, when the medication was stopped owing to the MMSE score falling below 12, we found a very high mortality rate (5 out of 25, 20%) or acute deterioration (12 out of 25, 48%). This suggests that the medication is beneficial in the later stages and should not be stopped purely because of the stage of dementia.Clinical ImplicationsIf we are to prevent unnecessary suffering, greater freedom is needed by old age psychiatrists in the use of these antidementia drugs. Patients with severe dementia may benefit from acute treatment. The withdrawal of medication in line with NICE guidance is poor clinical practice and likely to have adverse outcomes in a large proportion of cases.